Reign of the Lecher
The Reign of the Lecher describes the reign of Emperor Gaius Vardyn the First, who plunged the realm into chaos with his worship of the Demon Lord R'zator Description The infamous period referred to as the Reign of the Lecher initiated when Gaius I Vardyn, then Prince, murdered his brother, Emperor Darius II, and stole the throne with help from the Cult of R’zator. A worshipper of the demon lord, Emperor Gaius followed his teachings and gave in to his darkest desires. He took to wife his two elder sisters, four of his cousins, his three aunts, and even his own mother. With the help of his fellow cultists, dark enhancements were placed upon the Ruby Crown, allowing its wielder to utterly dominated wyverns, which Emperor Gaius used to crush the rebellions that were breaking out across the land, many spurred on by the Communion and led by members of the Hand of Raziel, flying out on his own wyvern to burn several attacking armies. He reigned for seven years, promoting the worship of R’zator wherever possible and spreading chaos, hedonism and debauchery across the realm, especially within the capitol. Rape, murder and thievery were made legal, and cities and towns across the empire were ravaged. Invasions from Rhatnheim, the western nations, and Otrag Vakh took place, while the Emperor and his cultists did nothing unless they themselves were threatened. Within the walls of the Crimson Keep, the worst horrors occured. Every day, the Emperor defiled each and every of his familial wives, and many of his young male relatives as well, raping them brutally. Records say that he enjoyed ravishing his own mother, Empress Alyssa, the most, with a book called The Reign of Dark Desire reading that his Majesty stated “I enjoy filling the womb that I emerged from.” In addition to this incestuous horror, daily sacrifices were made to R’zator, who had grown immensely in power from the worship given to him during Emperor Gaius’s rule, teetering on the brink of godhood. Narishnae, goddess of the Versdayni, who resided in the Abyss, fearing the Dark Prince’s rise in power, sent her champion Zarana Karaeni, a member of the Order of Shadow, to assassinate Emperor Gaius in HE 55. Working in concert with the Hand of Raziel, Karaeni succeeded in killing the monstrous Emperor and the leaders within his cult, stealing the Ruby Crown and allowing the armies led by the Hand into the city and the castle by unlocking the gates. The legendary Emmanuel Fierent, (who was then a count) had been reunifying the Duchy of Racshire county by county, had marched on Dragonfall with a host forty thousand strong, and stormed the capitol when the gates were opened. The other cultists were slaughtered, and the foul enchantment upon the Ruby Crown was cleansed, allowing Dowager Empress Alyssa and the rest of the royal family to ride out on their wyverns to slaughter any who still worshipped R’zator, along with the Hand. The Crown then passed to Emperor Gaius’s nephew, Lucian, the son of his murdered brother Darius II, a boy of eleven. Mending the realm would take seven years, supposedly for each of the Seven Holy Virtues, and the rulership of Emmanuel Fierent, the new Duke of Racshire, but eventually, order was restored, and the affects Emperor Gaius’s mad reign were wiped clean.